The Sunday Mail
Nokuthula Dube
ABOUT 40 road safety education roadblocks will be mounted across the country by the Traffic Safety Council of Zimbabwe (TSCZ) to curb accidents during the upcoming Easter holidays that begin this week.
Operators of public service vehicles (PSVs), particularly buses, are also being engaged to fit speed-limiting devices on their vehicles, a measure designed to prevent drivers from exceeding prescribed speed limits.
TSCZ managing director Mr Munesu Munodawafa told The Sunday Mail that collective efforts will help curb road carnage.
“It is imperative for the public to be cognisant of the fact that road safety is everyone’s business, and, as such, collective efforts from road safety agents like the Traffic Safety Council, other interested stakeholders and the public can curtail road carnage,” he said.
“To begin with, the TSCZ carries out holiday campaigns across the country in a bid to educate road users — motorists, pedestrians, passengers, cyclists and motorcyclists — about road safety and the importance of exercising caution on the road.
“This Easter, the Traffic Safety Council sets out to have at least 40 road safety education roadblocks in all provinces across the country.”
Mr Munodawafa said PSV operators need to ensure that their drivers are qualified.
“The responsibility of ferrying passengers to their destinations daily is a mammoth one and ought to be treated as such,” he continued.
“PSV operators ought to observe the sanctity of human life and not value profit over human life.
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“It seems the biggest problem we have on our roads is the blatant disrespect for road traffic laws, driving against oncoming traffic, overtaking on curves and other prohibited areas and driving beyond the permitted limits.”
Road users, he added, must desist from speeding, driving when fatigued and avoid driving at night.
“Additionally, the need for bus and commuter omnibus operators to meet daily ‘targets’ and make exponential profits seems to push drivers to drive recklessly in a bid to make that extra dollar.
“We simply cannot continue on this trajectory, and we urge bus operators and leaders of transport associations to hold their drivers to account and encourage responsible use of the road.”
In terms of Statutory Instrument 118 of 2023, all PSVs must be fitted with speed-limiting devices.
“We are hoping more operators comply as it will contribute to our fight for improved road safety,” he said.
“Speeding is no doubt one of the biggest causes of road traffic accidents and having these limiting devices installed on PSVs will see to it that these vehicles will travel at safe speeds.
“The United Nations estimates that about 94 percent of road traffic accidents can be attributed to human error; therefore, it is important for drivers to introspect about the dangers of such practices.”
